The Vari Story: A New Hope
by Hikari The Dark
Summary: After losing her home to an ancient enemy, she finds herself on Earth, a world that may share the same fate as hers due to her carelessness. Can she alter the blue planet's fate? Will she gain the courage and the strength to save the man that never knew she existed?
1. Prologue

Prologue:

Sitting across from the bed, Artemisia stared at the sleeping man with content yet sad eyes. She loved him yet she knew he was needed elsewhere. It would be selfish of her to ask him to stay with her in Mantra. If he were to stay because of her, it would upset the balance of time.

She recalled the day she met him. While on his way back to his base of operations from a successful mission, his space pod malfunctioned and crash landed on her planet. Many feared him because of his fearsome reputation and his saiyan heritage. But she neither feared or resented him for his lust for power. She admired him for his dedication to his training, yet she knew a part of him felt empty or incomplete.

He wanted a reason or purpose to fight, not for himself but for others. This desire, which he would never admit, grew stronger while he spent time with Artemisia, learning about her planet, Mantra and its culture. She showed him a world full of life, honor, and pride. The more they spent time together, the stronger their bond became.

This was the first man she had given her whole heart to, yet she knew they could never be together. She had to do the right thing, for both of their sakes. She stood by his bedside, caressing his left cheek.

"This pains me but it's the right thing to do," she whispered. "I wish we could stay together... But we are on different paths. I don't know what is in store for me, but I know you'll do great things that you never would've thought possible." And so, with the use of the chantel arts, a spiritual method of fighting that only those of mantrian blood can use, she erased his memories of her and his time spent at Mantra, transporting him back to his companions.

She fell on her knees the moment his presence was gone, tears rapidly falling down her cheeks like an endless waterfall, unaware that he had left her with the greatest gift she could ever ask for: Vari.


	2. Chapter 1: Golden Girl

Chapter One: The Golden Girl

Seven years had passed since the conclusion of the Cell games. Everyone went about their daily lives, unaware of the sacrifice that was made that day. No one but the family and friends of Goku acknowledged the deed that he had done for earth that day. But perhaps that's for the best, for Goku only wished for the happiness of his loved ones, especially Gohan.

At age 11, Gohan relieved earth of Cell's madness. Now at 18 years of age, he's a communing student at Orange Star High and Saiyaman, his super hero persona, on the side. He had thought that trying to maintain a normal life and being Saiyaman wouldn't be so difficult until he met Videl, who was not only his classmate, but also daughter of the infamous Hercule. She had been on his tracks ever since he had taken up Saiyaman as his other alias, trying to uncover his identity.

This time, he may not be so lucky, for although he was just trying to return Chobi, his baby pterodactyl friend to his parents from the abusive clutches of a circus manager, Gohan's deed was perceived as theft by Videl and Orange Star City's police department. With the city's citizens serving as a public audience from the streets and the inevitable scuffle between Saiyaman and Videl, will this be the end of his heroic career? He knew he had to get Chobi back to his parents before they turn their rage on the city, but he didn't think it would turn into this unfortunate predicament!

While Gohan was trying to find a solution to this problem, a young girl, her body coated in blood and bruises, appeared in a nearby alley. Slowly opening her eyes, she realized she was definitely not at home anymore, for the land looked very foreign to her. As she struggled to stand up, she noticed a group of men in uniform passing by with great fear in their eyes. She wondered if she was transported to a world that was in the middle of a great war, much like her own world. She glanced the open area, only to find two rampaging, winged creatures terrorizing the other inhabitants.

There was one other individual that stood out. It was the strange young masked man in green that caught Vari's attention, for unlike the others, his energy level seemed stronger than that of a normal human's. Due to his seemingly inhuman abilities, she believed that he has had some affiliation with _him_: the man whom her mother loved with her whole heart 'til her very last breath.

Barely able to stand, she noticed the woman with black pigtails seemed to be helping the masked man secure the situation instead of still picking a fight with him.

"Put your weapons down!" she heard Videl exclaim with such authority. The foreigner assumed that this woman must be an important figure, for the police officers did as she asked without hesitation.

However, the circus manager did not intend to let his prize get away. He grabbed the chief officer's gun aggressively, targeting Chobi's father. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Videl intercepted it by flinging her handcuffs at his wrist, causing him to drop his firearm. Unfortunately, while Videl's action were for a good cause, Chobi's parents didn't think so.

Just as the male pterodactyl was about to strike her, Videl raised her head slightly, noticing that she and Saiyaman were encircled in a protective barrier. It was evoked by a strange golden girl, her hair braided just below her waist and draped in black baggy pants and a dark blue tank top. Gohan noticed her body seemed heavily damaged. He also took note of how she presented an aura similar to that of a super saiyan. But how can that be when there were only four saiyans left that weren't caught in Vegetasei's destruction? Trying to put his confusion to rest, Gohan drew back his attention to the dilemma at hand.

'First the Gold Fighter, then Saiyaman, now Golden Girl? It's like all these strange fighters just keep coming one after the other,' Videl thought.

After the mysterious saiyan withdrew her shield, she brought her attention to Chobi's parents and with caution, she placed her hand lightly on the male pterodactyl's head. Her eyes closed, she read his mind, allowing her to get a clear understanding of the current situation. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine," she told the pterodactyls.

Chobi's parents gave her a nod, silently agreeing with her. Strangely, after all that had happened, the atmosphere changed. It was calm and soothing, rather than abysmal and wearisome, once she brought Chobi to them. Now that the situation had finally subsided, Chobi and his parents darted toward the sky and headed for home.

"I don't know what you just did but thank you," said Saiyaman. "Thanks to you, no one got hurt."

"It was nothing," the Golden Girl replied, her voice softening with sadness for this planet's future. Will it be too late for Earth because of her carelessness? Will the universe have to suffer because she ignored her many vision's of Earth's cries of anguish and pain? Will _he _still die by the hand of that monster due to her stubborness? 'I have to become stronger...' Overwhelmed with the bodily pain she had tried to suppress and the pressure of the task appointed to her since birth, she lost all consciousness and collapsed. Her golden aura had faded, revealing her long silky brown hair and black eyes.

Saiyaman quickly rushed to her side and held her up while Videl examined her, putting her right hand on her forehead.

"She has a fever," said Videl. "We should bring her to the hospital right away."

"I'd have to disagree."

"Look Saiyaman. She is obviously sick and may have some serious wounds by the looks of all that blood and bruises all over her body. She needs medical attention."

"Right, I know," said Saiyaman. But because she may in fact may be a saiyan, he felt it would lead to trouble if a doctor noticed something abnormal about her blood or any medical procedure that will lead others to the conclusion that she's not from Earth. She needs to be with people that are trustworthy. He didn't expect Videl to understand because not many are aware of the other forces outside of Earth. "Just trust me on this. It's best she's treated elsewhere. I'll make sure she's taken care of."

"Alright, if you think that's best. I'll take care of things here."

With that settled, Saiyaman took off to the sky with the girl secured in his arms, heading to the first place he thought she'd be safe in: Capsule Corp.

* * *

After Gohan explained to Bulma what had happened, she led him to the guest room. It was a twin bed covered with a pink and red, flowery quilt and a soft, white-colored pillow. On the left side of the bed was a small, wooden drawer with a current picture of the Brief family. With care, Gohan laid the girl on the bed without sudden movements. While he did his best to make her as comfortable as possible, Bulma tended to her wounds with bandages and ointment.

"It's still hard to believe that all this time, there was another saiyan that we weren't aware of," said Bulma, as she began bandaging the girl's wounds. Luckily, the female warrior did not sustain serious injuries and her fever started to go down some after Bulma put a warm, damp cloth on her forehead.

"I know," Gohan agreed, setting his helmet on the dresser. "I wonder where she came from? I didn't even sense her presence right away. It's as if she appeared out of thin air."

"Who knows... Wherever she's from, there might've been a battle going on over there. She must've been trying to escape from it."

"Maybe. I guess we'll find out once she recovers."

"Right. For now, she needs her rest," said Bulma, as she finished bandaging her. She took the cloth and dipped in water from the bucket on top of the desk, twisting it until it was almost damp. As she brushed the cloth against her face, the girl's body stirred.

"Mom..." the girl muttered in her sleep, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Don't leave me..."

Bulma put the cloth back on the girl's forehead. "Do you think...someone may be after her?"

"I don't know," Gohan replied, staring at the kids outside playing, not having a care in the world. "But something tells me, that I need to start training again." If another threat does come to earth, he knew that him and the others needed to be ready. Though he had stopped training and concentrated more on his studies for the past 7 years to make his mother happy, he wished he had put aside some time to train.

"Woman! Where's dinner!" They heard Vegeta exclaim.

"Come to the guest bedroom!" Bulma cried.

Trailing down the cooridor, Vegeta, followed by 8 year old Trunks, found his wife and Kakarott's son in the guest bedroom. It appeared that they had just finished with their training in the gravity chamber, for they were both in their training uniforms. Vegeta wore his dark blue sleeveless suit while Trunks was draped in a gray tank top and black baggy pants.

"Hi Gohan! You didn't bring Goten with you?" Asked Trunks.

"No, sorry buddy. Maybe next time I'll bring him with me, okay?

"Alright..." said Trunks in dismay, which soon faded away once he noticed a strange girl sleeping in the room. "Who's the girl?"

"We're not sure yet," said Bulma, failing to notice Vegeta's odd silence as he stared at the guest. "But we believe she's a saiyan."

This stroke a cord in Vegeta's body immediately, for the girl resembled a woman he had met long ago when he was still under Freiza's command. Strangely, his memories of _her_ did not resurface until 6 years ago. But he found that quite peculiar. After all the time that had passed, why did his memories of her just suddenly rush back to him all at once at that point in time? It didn't make sense to him. And what confused him most now was this presumed-to-be saiyan girl...

'She looks just like _her_, but...she's a saiyan? Is she-"

"Vegeta? Is something wrong?" Asked Bulma. "You've been deep in thought for a while now. Have you met her before?"

"No," Vegeta replied abruptly. "I'm going out." With that said he left the room, leaving them in bewilderment.

"What's up with dad?" asked Trunks.

"I wish I knew," said Bulma, expressing great concern for her husband. For the past few years, Bulma noticed a change in Vegeta that was even a little strange for him. He became more distant more than usual, always in the gravity chamber except for when he's hungry and fatigued. Whenever Bulma noticed something was bothering him from his expression, he'd always shrug it off, saying nothing's wrong. She knew something has been on his mind lately but he'd keep his feelings bottled inside in order to not feel weak. But sometimes, she wishes he would just open up to her once in a while.

"If you want, I can have her stay at my house," Gohan suggested after sensing the awkardness between Vegeta and Bulma.

"No, that's alright. I'll look after her. Why don't you stop by after school tomorrow? She should be awake by then."

"Okay. I'll do that." After saying his good-byes, he headed for home. He was concerned about Bulma and Vegeta, but perhaps things will clear up once the girl wakes up.


	3. Chapter 2: Voice from the Past

Chapter 2: Voice From The Past

Vegeta found himself in an endless world of darkness, discovering that there was no signs of other life forms aside from himself. Not even a small spark of light was present in this dark abyss. It was just him and the darkness. As he trailed deeper and deeper in the void, he heard a distant yet familiar voice calling out to him.

"Who's there!" Vegeta exclaimed. "Show yourself!"

Frantically, he searched throughout the shadows, unaware of the brown-haired woman standing behind him. She was draped in a plain yet elegant white robe with a golden ring floating just above her head. Her chocolate-brown hair was wrapped into a bun, held together with a flowery accessory composed of red and white roses.

"You look well, Vegeta," she said, smiling sincerely. "I'm glad."

Turning around slowly, he couldn't believe his eyes. It was her: the woman he had forgotten until 6 years ago. She was just as he remembered her: graceful, radiant, and kind. "Artemisia…? Is that really you?"

She nodded.

"What the hell happened to me? Why couldn't I remember anything from Mantra until 6 years ago?"

"Forgive me," said Artemisia, sighing. "It was my doing. I suppressed your memories of the time you spent in Mantra. If you had stayed, you would've strayed from your destiny."

"My destiny?" Vegeta asked, remembering that she has the ability of foresight.

"Yes," She replied. "You were always meant to go to Earth. I was concerned that if you had left on your own accord, that you would try to find your way back to Celesia. That is why I made sure that you had no recollection of Mantra. But now you do."

"Why is that?"

"It is because I am no longer among the living as of 6 years ago, which is why your memories of Celesia returned at that same time."

Vegeta froze. Here he was, reunited with the woman he had wanted to spend the rest of his life with in the past. Now, forever torn by the boundaries between the living and the dead, why did she choose to contact him now?

"How…did it happen? Was Mantra attacked?"

"Why don't you ask _her_?"

"Who?"

"You know of whom I speak of."

He paused, realizing it must be the girl that Gohan had found. "Who…is she?"

"Someone that may in fact make a great impact on Earth's fate and perhaps the Universe's as well," Artemisia explained. "I cannot be by her side when the time comes. Please protect her. Make her the strong and proud saiyan warrior I know she is, just like her father..."

"F-father?" Vegeta gasped, his voice trembling in confusion.

"Yes," she replied. "Protect her, Vegeta. Protect Vari..."

* * *

Abruptly, sweat dripping from his face to his chest, Vegeta awoke from the strange dream...or was it? Out of the dark abyss, he found himself back in Capsule Corp. in his bedroom where Bulma slept nice and soundly with her body curled up next to his. She slept comfortably in her silky, sleeveless, light-pink gown. Vegeta, now in blue shorts, slipped into a white t-shirt from the wooden dresser. Before leaving the room, he pulled the covers over Bulma's body, for her skin was cold and bare. Gently kissing her forehead, he headed for the guestroom even though it was still in the middle of the night.

Pacing down the cooridor in a quiet manner, he entered the guest bedroom where he found the girl covered in bandages over her arms, chest, and around her forehead, sleeping restlessly. Tossing and turning, it was as if she was being haunted in her sleep by an unfortunate event. An event that changed her life forever in ways she never would've imagined from losing the woman who had raised her by herself to losing the only home she ever knew.

Vegeta took the chair from the desk and sat directly across from the bed, watching the girl sleep. He wondered how he was going to break the news to Bulma and Trunks involving the girl called Vari. Normally, he wanted nothing to do with human emotions but that changed when Trunks was born. He never would've imagined that he'd start a family of his own, especially on earth with a woman that was just as difficult as him. Believing his dream of Artemisia had some truth in it, he was thankful that he was led to earth, though he'd never openly admit it.

But now, he was overcome with human emotions that he hadn't felt ever since that day he found out Bulma was pregnant with Trunks. But this time, it was different. He felt anger, anxiety, and confusion. For the most part, he was vexed. Vexed at the thought of a child that existed for the past eighteen years and be completely unaware of it.

'Artemisia...why didn't you tell me? Why now?' Sighing, he left the room, closing the door in a quiet manner. Confused, he knew not what to do. What does Vari's being here mean? What does she want of Vegeta? Does she even want anything at all?

* * *

After Gohan was finished with school for the day, he headed for Capsule Corp. in his school attire: white shirt, crimson vest, and black jeans. It seemed that "Golden Girl" was the hottest topic ever since she made her first appearance yesterday. Videl seemed more interested in finding information on her now than exploiting Saiyaman. That was well and good for Gohan but he hoped Videl wouldn't recognize a connection between the fighters at the Cell Games, the Gold Fighter, and Golden Girl.

Bulma immediately let Gohan into Capsule Corp. once she found him outside, leading him back to the guest bedroom. Unfortunately, the girl was still asleep but she seemed more relaxed and at peace.

"Has there been any change?" Gohan asked.

"She's improved some," said Bulma as she changed the girl's bandages. "But she still needs her rest. Fortunately, her fever finally went down."

"Good," Gohan sighed in relief.

Bulma raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "For a guy who just met someone, you seem awfully concerned about her."

"I'm not concerned!" Gohan exclaimed, his face turning bright red. "It's just... It's kind of refreshing to know that there's someone like me that's around my age that I can relate to."

"I see," Bulma giggled. "Why don't you stay put for a while and relax? I'll go prepare dinner."

"Thanks." Bulma left the room, leaving Gohan alone in the room with the beautiful, brown-eyed saiyan. He looked at her face curiously, realizing that there was a slight resemblance to someone he has known for almost 14 years now, except her face seemed more gentle and kinder than _his. _Perhaps it was just his imagination...maybe. Just as he was about to leave the room, he heard her screaming. He paced back by her side, her body moving rapidly from side to side in her sleep.

"Stay away!"

"It's ok," Gohan whispered lightly, holding onto her right hand with hesitation. Unsure of how to console her, he tried his best to stay calm. Her grip tightened even more as she continued to scream in horror.

* * *

Flying rapidly above the rocky, mountainous terrain, the dust picking up in the wind, Vari darted for the infantile creature. It was attacking three men engulfed in a golden aura. There was a young man with a green loose top and baggy black pants who was fighting along side two older man. One wore a dark blue top under a red vest with red loose pants. The other, the one she feared the most for his safety, wore a blue, sleeveless, training attire.

Tried as they might, they discovered each thrust of energy had no effect on it whatsoever, including energy blasts. Again and again, they tried inflicting pain on it, believing that it must have some sort of weakness. Unfortunately, they did not have the luxury of time to make that discovery. As the youngest of the group charged out alone, putting all of his energy into each blow, the malevolent fiend smiled teasingly like a clever child. With just one forceful jolt, it bumped head to head with the boy, making him light-headed and unable to retain his balance. The beast threw the boy in the air, exchanging a great force with its fists one by one, then kicked him further into the air, plummetting into the midst of an evergreen forest.

Enraged, the boy's companions fought together side by side against the enemy as Vari continued to fly towards them. Though she flew as fast as she could, the distance was still great between her and the battle ground. It was as if time was against her, forcing her to see the death's of earth's mercenaries and its last day of tranquility and prosperity. Vari, descending to the ground next to the two bodies coated in blood, cried for earth and the three warriors, especially the man that never knew she existed...

Tears continued to fall rapidly down her face. "It's my fault...It's my fault."

* * *

"It's my fault..." Vari whispered as she slowly opened her eyes, finding a young, alarmed man holding her right hand securely. "Who are you?"

He sighed in relief, for he was not very good at consoling women, considering he never conversed with girls his own age until he started attending high school. "I'm Gohan. We met yesterday on the streets, remember? I was the one in the green costume."

Vari thought real hard, vaguely remembering what happened. She recalled her defeat in her homeland, unable to protect her loved ones from the demonic, red being and his subordinates. Then she remembered. After being forcefully teleported to the blue planet, earth, she came across a strange man in green and a pterodactyl family dilemma. Vari realized from Gohan's energy signature that he was the very same man that she aided yesterday. With great sadness, she also realized that he was one of the men from her vision. "I remember."

"Good," Gohan smiled. "You had a really bad fever and cuts last night so my friend, Bulma, has been looking after you."

"I see," Vari replied. "May I have my hand back?"

"Oh! I'm sorry!" He exclaimed, his face becoming beat red as he released her hand.

She stared at him with great confusion, for she found his kindness quite amazing considering that they just met. Then again, she was somewhat a stranger to compassion, for only a fair few from her home planet did not despise her for her saiyan blood. Many ill-treated her, believing one day that she would betray them and turn into a blood-thirsty killer like most saiyans. The only thing that kept she from going mad with rage was her mother. Artemisia always knew the right words to say to keep Vari positive and strong. But now, with her mother gone, she needs to look deep inside herself and find her own strength in order to make a difference. To help shape a new, beautiful future for earth, and perhaps for herself.


End file.
